Things Aren't That Simple Anymore
by ComicKid99
Summary: On the day of Klaine's wedding, something huge happens between Sam and Rachel that could shape their future. MATURE. Very different to my usual stuff.
1. Sunrise Passion

It was the morning of Kurt and Blaine's wedding, and Sam's alarm went off at 6:30am. He slammed it to silence it and got out of bed. He was still in New York and was taking a train to Lima in a few hours for the service in the afternoon. He was nervous as he was Blaine's best man, but he was determined to make the occasion the best he could. As he sat on his bed going through his speech in his head he heard noises coming from the living room of the apartment.

Rachel was still there.

Sam walked out with a big yawn and he rubbed his eyes as he saw Rachel making toast. She was in a beautiful lilac dress and even without make-up on she looked stunning. Sam's mouth was wide open at the sight of her, but had to ignore her beauty and concentrate on the day ahead. He had been developing feelings for Rachel recently, but knew nothing would happen so kept them hidden. After staring at Rachel a bit more, he finally spoke.

"Changed your mind about going back to Lima last night then?" Sam asked. Rachel turned and looked at him. She seemed to stare at him for a long time and it appeared as if she was checking him out before she snapped back to reality.

"Uh, yeah. I figured it'd be a waste to travel there just to sleep. Plus, I wanted to make sure my outfit was perfect. Do I look any good? I still have to do my make-up and hair but I'll save that for when we're on the train. How do I look?" Rachel asked.

"Gorgeous, really gorgeous." Sam said rapidly before regretting it immediately. Rachel blushed a little as she returned to making her toast.

"Well, I take it you're not going in that." Rachel commented. Sam looked down at himself and went bright red as he realised he was only in his boxers.

"Oh, uh, no. Apologies for the nakedness." Sam said. Rachel chuckled.

"Its fine, you do live here after all." Rachel said and smiled. Sam smiled back. They both loved each other's smiles.

"So, you want some toast?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, thanks." Sam replied and the two of them took a seat at the table. Rachel was surprisingly okay with Sam being almost completely naked as he ate breakfast.

"Excited?" Sam asked. Rachel nodded.

"Yep. I've been practicing songs for the reception for five weeks, and I will need to find a guy to slow dance with me." Rachel said.

"Otherwise you'd have to settle for me!" Sam chuckled. Rachel laughed.

"Sam, it's impossible for you to be someone who a girl settles for. You're better than that." Rachel said then blushed slightly, looking down at her nearly empty plate. Sam blushed too. The two of them had been sharing moments like that for almost a year now, but nothing had ever come of it; they rarely got any time alone anyway.

"I do wish Finn could've been here though." Sam said, and Rachel grew serious.

"Me too. He was so excited for the wedding...I really miss him. Especially on days like these." Rachel said, tears in her eyes. Sam squeezed her hand and just wanted to kiss her to make her feel better.

_Snap out of it, Evans. She's your FRIEND._

"Well, I should try on my suit before we catch the train." Sam said and got up as he finished his toast. Rachel gave in to temptation and seized the chance to look at Sam's huge muscles, toned abs and overly impressive physique without him seeing her do so. There were some benefits to having a handsome friend who was a male model.

_Snap out of it, Berry. He's your FRIEND._

Rachel still loved Finn, of course she did, but she knew she couldn't be alone forever. She was nearly twenty and one day she'd find someone to share her life with. She still wished it could have been Finn, but she knew she'd see him again one day no matter what. She had grown very attracted to Sam since he had moved in with her, and his good looks and hot body were great, but his fantastic personality was the cherry on top for her.

"Blaine wants me to wear a bow tie, but I still don't really know how to align it properly." She heard Sam shout from his room.

"I'll show you how to do it; Blaine taught me. Come out and I'll demonstrate." Rachel replied. Sam walked out of his room, still in just his boxers but with a bow tie in hand.

"I could get changed first..."

"...Don't worry, I'll just quickly show you how to do it and then you can try it when you get changed." Rachel said and took the tie off of Sam. She took a step closer to him so they were only centimetres away from each other. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment before Rachel proceeded to wrap the bow tie around Sam's neck.

She demonstrated to Sam how to tie the bow tie vocally and laughed as Sam made a funny noise when she pulled it too tight. Sam laughed with her as she adjusted it and found it surreal that she had just put a bow tie on her practically naked roommate.

"There. Perfect." Rachel said and looked at Sam.

"It is." Sam agreed and stared back at Rachel. The two of them shared another moment as Rachel briefly looked at Sam's chest again.

_She's your FRIEND._

_He's your FRIEND._

The roommates stared at each other for a while longer before Rachel spoke.

"We should, um...we should really get ready."

"Uh, yeah...we really should." Sam replied.

_Screw it._

Rachel pulled Sam's bow tie until his lips crashed into hers. Rachel was relieved as she felt Sam kiss her back and wrap his large arms around her. Rachel jumped onto Sam and wrapped her legs around his back as he held her legs. The two of them embraced with more and more passion every second as they backed up against a wall and continued to kiss intensely. Sam turned around so Rachel had her back against the wall and started to kiss her neck as she unwrapped her legs and slid down his body. She grabbed his hair and relished the moment before kissing him again. She rubbed her hands up and down his chest as he moaned in delight.

Rachel's bedroom door burst open as Rachel pushed Sam onto her bed. She jumped on top of him and they began kissing again as she moaned as he unzipped her dress and gently rolled it off. She tore off his bow tie and kissed his neck as they both slid under the covers.

Sam got on top of Rachel and took off her bra as she slid her underwear off. He went back to kissing her neck as she felt his arms with her hands. Sam kissed her on the lips gently again before the two of them stared at each other.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Sam whispered.

"...Yeah." Rachel whispered back and kissed Sam, biting his lip as they parted. Sam felt her pull down his boxers and he kicked his legs until they flew off to the corner of the room. They linked their fingers in between each other's as Rachel wrapped her legs around Sam's waist. Rachel moaned in delight and gripped the edges of the mattress as Sam started to thrust.

The sound of moaning, giggling and bedsprings echoed through the whole apartment.

**A/N: This is VERY different to what I normally do, but I've become a big Samchel fan recently. If you guys want I'll continue as I do have ideas for what happens next, but it's up to you :)**


	2. Aftermath

Rachel pushed Sam off from on top of her, leaving the two of them lying naked in Rachel's bed. They were silent for a long while, both unsure of what to say. Rachel looked at the clock and saw it was 6.58am.

"It's, um...it's nearly seven." Rachel said. Sam was still simply staring at the ceiling.

"We better get dressed then." Sam said back awkwardly.

"Yeah." Rachel agreed and quickly got out of bed and started getting dressed. Sam found his boxers and put them on before heading out of the room. The two roommates looked at each other briefly before he went to his room to get changed. As they put their clothes back on they couldn't stop thinking about each other and what they had just done. They had been friends for years and in one moment everything had changed between them.

Rachel quickly sorted out her hair and decided to do her make-up on the train. Sam thought of Rachel as he tied up his bow tie as she had shown him. Now ready, he was nervous to go and confront Rachel over what they had done.

More than anything, Sam wanted it to have felt wrong and inappropriate. Rachel was simply 'Finn's girl' for years and that's all Sam thought she would be. He wanted conformation that they shouldn't be together despite his feelings in case it didn't work out. After all, what would everyone else think; Finn's family and friends? Would Finn approve of Rachel being with Sam? He wanted his passionate exchange with Rachel to put him off the thought of them being together.

_So why did it have to feel SO GOOD? Why did it have to feel SO RIGHT?_

As Rachel walked into the living room and looked at their packed suitcases, she was thinking exactly the same thing. It _did _feel good. It _did _feel right.

Sam walked out and the two of them looked at each other before moving towards their cases and rushing out of the door.

"We might just catch the train if we hurry." Rachel said.

"Rachel-"

"-Not now, Sam. Please."

They managed to catch the train in time and sat in a section on their own by a window, facing opposite each other. Rachel pretended to be busy on her phone as Sam looked out the window. He eventually built up the courage to look at her.

"...Rachel."

"Kurt's texting me all these pictures of him making nervous faces, bless him!"

"Rachel."

"Mercedes has lined up such a good song to sing at the reception. Blaine's singing a new rendition of 'Teenage Dream', but that's a surprise. Kurt's planning to-"

"-RACHEL." Sam said sternly and Rachel stopped and looked at him.

"We need to talk about it." Sam said.

"...It was a heat of the moment thing." Rachel said.

"That's it? It didn't mean anything?" Sam asked.

"No." Rachel lied.

"Well, at least we know where we stand. We'll just forget about it." Sam said, hurt.

"...Yeah, okay." Rachel said and went back to her phone. She kept looking up at Sam briefly as he looked out of the window.

"...Are you okay with that?" Rachel asked almost like a demand.

"Fine." Sam snapped loudly. Rachel looked shocked for a minute then went back to her phone. Sam quickly felt bad and took her hand.

"I'm sorry. I'm...I'm stressed about the wedding." Sam said and looked out the window.

"There's something else." Rachel said and Sam looked at her.

"...What happened earlier between us...it, um...it mattered to me." Sam admitted. Rachel's heart stopped.

"...What?"

"It was _amazing_, Rachel. I know it, you know it. All of us guys, even when we were in Glee club all those years ago, always knew you were Finn's girl and left it at that. I've always thought of you as a friend, a hot one nonetheless, but a friend. A good one, especially in the last few years. Yet we've been having these moments, little unexplained moments where there's something between us. I'm not saying you should run into my arms and we can be happy, I know everything with Finn is raw for all of us even now, but I'm saying that maybe if you one day do want to give things a try, I'm yours and proudly so." Sam said, pouring his heart out. Rachel just stared at her friend with teary eyes.

"Say something Rachel, this is killing me." Sam added.

"...I don't have the words. I don't know what to say." Rachel said.

Silence for a while.

"Sam...you're a great guy, really great, and obviously there is a very real attraction between us, but-" Rachel began.

"-Stop there, Rachel, I get it. I'd rather not hear it." Sam interrupted.

"Sam..."

"No, it's fine. Just forget it. This is Kurt and Blaine's day after all." Sam said and went back to looking outside, wishing the ground would swallow him up.

Guilt filled Rachel as sadness filled Sam. Thing's just weren't simple between them anymore.

The train eventually reached Lima, where Sam and Rachel got their cases and made their way to the Hudson-Hummel home in silence.


	3. Make Me Happy

"HEY!" Blaine exclaimed as he opened the door and hugged Rachel and Sam in turn, inviting them into the Hudson-Hummel home.

"Where's Kurt?" Rachel asked.

"He went to Mercedes' parent's house early this morning to get ready before I came here." Blaine explained.

"Nervous?" Sam asked. Blaine laughed but also nodded.

"How about you, best man? Nervous about your speech?" Blaine asked.

"Nah, I've got it covered." Sam smiled. He looked at Rachel, who looked back briefly then turned away. Blaine picked up on the tension.

"Well I'm gonna sort out my make-up after my disaster trying to do it on the train, so...yeah..." Rachel drifted off into the next room, which quickly filled with loud laughter and cheering as most of the girls gathered together. Sam watched her go.

"...What's up with you two? You were fine when we left a few days ago." Blaine asked.

"It's, uh...complicated. I'll tell you later." Sam said.

The service went swimmingly well; people laughed, people cried and people cheered. Kurt and Blaine gave emotionally charged vows filled with love and sealed with a kiss as they were finally married. Throughout the service Sam and Rachel kept glancing at each other, but continued to avoid contact as much as they could. Rachel still felt huge guilt over their conversation on the train.

After the wedding came the reception dinner, where Sam's best man speech was very well received and filled the room with laughter and sadness as he made many heartfelt statements about his relationship with Blaine. After many people cried over Kurt and Blaine's speech that they dedicated to Finn, Rachel found herself thinking about her first love and feeling so guilty when she looked over at Sam. However, when she looked at Sam she felt feelings that she hadn't felt since she every time she looked at Finn.

_He'd want me to move on, and he knew and trusted Sam. He's a good guy and being with him felt good. It felt right._

Even with that thought, Rachel's head was filled with doubt.

That evening the music of the disco could be heard all around and the dance floor was constantly packed, whether it was with Kurt and Blaine sharing their first dance to a mash-up of 'Teenage Dream' and 'Blackbird' or when a really popular dance hit was played. Sam sat in the corner with a drink as Rachel was talking to Quinn at the opposite end of the room, occasionally looking at him also. Sam grew tired of feeling guilty and rejected when he looked at her so stood up and went outside to get some fresh air. Blaine watched him go and followed him after whispering 'I love you' to Kurt and kissing him passionately.

Sam was sat on a brick wall outside of the hall where the reception was held, staring in front of him. Blaine sat next to him.

"Your speech was awesome." Blaine said. Sam smiled.

"Thanks. Had a good day?" Sam asked.

"Best day of my life," Blaine said with meaning, "And I have an amazing best man to thank for most of it, which is why I need to make sure that you're okay. Normally it's hard to get you off of the dance floor."

"...I don't feel like it." Sam said.

"Is it about Rachel? You two have been really close lately and all of a sudden you're not speaking." Blaine said.

"That's the problem; we got _really close _this morning." Sam admitted.

"...Huh?"

"Rachel and I, we...we did it." Sam said awkwardly. Blaine looked at him, confused.

"We did _it_."

Blaine gasped and covered his mouth in shock.

"NO WAY?" Blaine exclaimed and Sam nodded.

"Tell me everything; you're secret's safe with me." Blaine added.

"YOU SLEPT WITH SAM?" Quinn exclaimed as Rachel told her the truth. The two girls had left the hall after Rachel asked to talk to Quinn in the hallway.

"Yes, this morning. It just happened. I can't explain it." Rachel said, flustered.

"And...?" Quinn asked. Rachel seemed reluctant to answer.

"Honestly?" Rachel asked and Quinn nodded. Rachel sighed and put her head in her hands.

"It was AMAZING, Quinn. I haven't felt like I did when I was with Sam since I was with Finn. He's just such a sweet guy, and his _body_..." Rachel said.

"Oh, I know." Quinn agreed, remembering the time when she dated Sam years ago.

"It felt so right, Quinn, but I have these feelings for Sam but I miss Finn and being with another guy just makes me feel so guilty." Rachel admitted.

"Look Rachel, Finn would want you to move on and be happy, that's how much he loved you. Of course you can never get over him, but Sam is a great guy who has never treated a girl wrongly. Plus, Finn knew and trusted him and I can guarantee he'd look after you. Does he feel the same way you do?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah, he told me on the train here." Rachel said. Quinn took her hand.

"Go for it, girl. You deserve to be happy, and Sam will make you happy." Quinn said.

Rachel thought for a moment and then smiled.

"You did cut her off; she might have said she feels the same." Blaine said, having listened to Sam's explanation.

"She said 'but'..." Sam said, disheartened.

"I bet she's having doubts, of course she is, but she knows in her heart that she can't be alone forever. Her feelings for Finn will always hold her back; she'll always love him, but that doesn't mean she won't grow to love you as well." Blaine said.

"I don't want to replace Finn at all; I want to make her happy, just like he did." Sam admitted.

"Then go for it. Tell her that. You deserve to be happy, and Rachel will make you happy." Blaine said.

Sam thought for a moment and then smiled.

As Sam walked back inside with Blaine, who immediately returned to the disco to dance with his husband and awkward looking father-in-law, Burt, his phone buzzed.

'_Store cupboard by the fire exit. ASAP. –Rachel'_

Sam read the text and immediately made his way along the corridor until he saw Rachel standing by the cupboard door. She looked beautiful even after spending hours in one boiling room after another all day.

"Hi." Rachel said.

"Hey." Sam replied.

Silence.

"Look, Rachel, I need to say something. So I need to tell you that-"

Sam was cut off as Rachel grabbed his bow tie and pulled him in for a kiss. Sam immediately wrapped his arms around her as the kiss deepened. The two of them leant against the wall as they continued to make out for a while before they parted, leaving them both breathing heavily.

"I deserve to be happy." Rachel whispered.

"I can make you happy." Sam whispered back.

"I know you can." Rachel said. Sam kissed Rachel passionately again and moaned as Rachel kissed back and bit his lip. She untied his bow tie and started unbuttoning his shirt as Sam threw his jacket off. Still kissing the now half-naked Sam, Rachel felt for the door handle opened the door of the cupboard, sending the two of them flying inside the small space. Sam unzipped Rachel's dress as Rachel pulled Sam's trousers down and started unbuttoning his boxers. They leant against a wall and Rachel kicked the door shut. The moaning coming from the cupboard was drowned out by the loud music coming from the nearby hall.

On the dance floor, Quinn approached Blaine and hugged him. As she did so, she whispered in his ear.

"Rachel likes Sam. I told her to go for it."

"Sam likes Rachel. I told _him _to go for it."

They broke their hug, smiled and high fived.


	4. Courage

The door of the cupboard slowly opened and Sam and Rachel stumbled out, laughing and finishing putting on and tidying up their clothes. They smiled and laughed with each other as Santana walked out of the hall and saw them there.

"What are you two doing?" Santana asked.

"We were getting a headache from the loud music." Rachel lied. Sam did his best at holding back a smile.

"Me too; I even went all Lima Heights on the DJ but he stood his ground. I may have spat in his beer." Santana said and walked off to find Brittany.

"She's crazy." Sam said. Rachel laughed in agreement.

"She really is." Rachel said and looked at Sam. The two stared at one another for a while.

"I really wanna kiss you." Sam said.

"Then kiss me." Rachel said and the two of them locked lips intensely. Rachel wrapped her arms around Sam's neck as he put his hands on her waist. They didn't notice Blaine and Quinn appear before them. Eventually Quinn made a fake coughing sound and the two broke apart and stared at the others.

"Oh. Hi." Sam said.

"Hi." Blaine smiled.

"We're very happy for you two; we just needed to check that you actually did get your acts together, and you did!" Quinn said happily before returning to the hall.

"I said we should wait a few minutes in case you were going at it in a cupboard!" Blaine joked and started laughing, slowly stopping when he picked up on Rachel and Sam's facial expressions.

"...No! AT OUR WEDDING?" Blaine exclaimed with a hint of shock and anger.

"Oh yeah, like you and Kurt won't be doing it tonight." Sam said. Blaine fell silent.

"...Well, uh, that's different." Blaine said and walked back into the hall. He soon popped his head out again.

"I am happy for you two, though. Be amazing. Have courage." Blaine said.

_Courage_.

That one word stuck with Rachel and Sam for the rest of the night.

That night, while most of the guests went back to Burt and Carole's house to sleep, Rachel decided she wanted to go to her dads' house and Sam came along. They were both away on a business trip so they had the house to themselves. They both got undressed and climbed into the bed in Rachel's old room, which was now a guest bedroom. Sam put his arm around Rachel and she rested on his bare chest.

"Why didn't you want to go back to Burt and Carole's house?" Sam asked her.

"...I wouldn't want Carole to see...well, see _us_...at least for now. It's not that I'm ashamed of you, it's just-" Rachel began.

"-Rachel, I understand. Don't worry." Sam said and kissed the top of Rachel's head. Rachel smiled.

"One day you'll have the courage to tell her and everyone else, and I'll be right by your side when you do." Sam said.

"You hang out with Blaine too much." Rachel laughed. Sam laughed with her.

"Remember Kurt with the picture of Blaine in his locker with 'Courage' written on it?" Sam said and Rachel giggled and nodded her head.

"Yeah...and now they're married. That is insane." Rachel said.

"Things were so simple back then, but not anymore." Sam said.

"Yep, definitely hanging out with Blaine too much." Rachel said and Sam pulled a funny face at her.

"I'm just saying that we'll only tell everyone when we're both ready." Sam said. Rachel smiled at him.

"Thank you." She whispered and kissed him passionately.

"I want this to work, Rachel; I'll do whatever I can. I'm here for as long as you need me." Sam said.

"In that case, you'll gonna be stuck with me for a while." Rachel said and smiled. Sam stroked her hair and kissed her. She deepened the kiss and Sam rolled on top of Rachel. The two of them smiled at each other, their noses touching.

"Courage." Sam whispered, making Rachel laugh. He started kissing her neck and she put her hands through his hair.

"Courage." Rachel whispered back.


	5. Hurt

Two months on, things were going well for Rachel and Sam. They had announced that they were dating six weeks ago and everyone was happy for them; Carole herself even supported them, saying that Finn would want Rachel to be happy. With the nerves now gone, the pair could enjoy being together in New York.

Rachel's room was the biggest in the apartment, so when they decided it was time to share a room Sam moved his stuff into hers. Sam's old room was quickly turned into a music room, filled with instruments and sheet music. Every night the whole group would go in there and sing a song together before dinner.

The two of them were also left alone more often, as the occupants of the apartment kept dropping. Kurt and Blaine found their own apartment just a few blocks away and Artie moved nearer to his film school. Santana, however, was happy to remain in the apartment knowing she has the power to interrupt Sam and Rachel's dates and make them feel awkward.

One Friday evening, Santana had gone out clubbing, leaving Sam and Rachel alone. Sam was sat on the sofa watching TV when Rachel approached him with a DVD in her hand.

"I think we should watch-" She began.

"-You want to watch Funny Girl AGAIN? We've watched it three times in two weeks!" Sam said and Rachel laughed.

"It brings back memories, Sam! I can watch this and know my Broadway dreams have come true. I have played Fanny Bryce on a Broadway stage!" Rachel exclaimed. Sam smiled at her.

"Yes, and you were amazing, but I just think instead of holding solely on to your past career achievements you need to find new opportunities as well." Sam commented. Rachel's face suddenly dropped.

"...What do you mean by that? You think I'm not looking for work?" Rachel asked almost as a demand.

"Of course not, it's just that-"

"I have been looking, Sam, I HAVE. Most of the jobs out there would mean I take a step back from being on Broadway, and no Broadway auditions are coming up for months yet." Rachel said.

"I get that, but sometimes you need to take a step back to take an even bigger one forward. Just because you've been on Broadway doesn't mean you can't take 'lesser' jobs. That just seems like you're looking down on people who haven't been on Broadway." Sam said. Rachel looked annoyed.

"Well, Broadway cannot be beaten, Sam. I'm a star; I can do so much better than being a waitress or a cleaner or...or a model." Rachel blurted out then instantly regretted it as Sam's face grew both shocked and angry.

Silence.

"Sam...I didn't mean that."

"Yes you did. You think me being a model is shameful." Sam snapped.

"No I don't."

"YES YOU DO. That was my dream Rachel; I had my dream, you had yours and we both fulfilled them. And you dare say that MY dream isn't as important as yours because it doesn't involve me being on stage and showing off to huge crowds every night?" Sam shouted.

"Excuse me? Show off? It's not about showing off!" Rachel shouted back.

"Could've fooled me." Sam said.

"Now you're being childish, Sam."

"Well you're being a diva, Rachel. And a drama queen. I thought you'd grown up."

"I'm FED UP of people calling me a diva and a drama queen. And for the record I HAVE grown up. I am a grown woman who can look after herself and has been successful on the stage. I am fed up of people saying I'm stuck up just because I've been a star. And I'm really fed up of you treating me like I'm a weak little girl!" Rachel exclaimed, now really angry. Sam stepped towards her.

"Well, you know what I'm fed up with? You thinking you're so much more special than everyone else. I'm fed up of you mentioning Broadway every minute of every day. You were a star and I'm proud of you, you were amazing in the show, but you need to think about the future to. We need to think about OUR future together. And I'm really fed up of always being second best." Sam shouted.

"Second best?" Rachel asked, irritated.

"Yeah, you always put yourself first, and that really pisses me off sometimes. You never show care for anyone else for longer than twelve hours at a time! And I know that I'm always gonna be second best when it comes to Finn, but I can live with that and accept that because it's clearly true. You'll always love Finn more than me, and that's fine."

"Don't you DARE use Finn to try and make me feel bad, Sam Evans! I am trying to find work; why is that hard for you to understand? Just because you get modelling jobs all the time doesn't mean that you're supporting both of us. I still have lots of money to get us by, and I've worked my ass off to get us to where we are right now. I want my success to be recognised, so why do you think it's okay for me to take a low paid job after everything I've done?" Rachel asked.

"Because I've known what it's like to not have a home, Rachel! You remember full well when I was homeless all those years ago. We had NOTHING. And that hurt me. It hurt me more than I thought anything could. I had to take even the crappiest jobs I could find just to afford cheap, unhealthy meals for my whole freakin' family! And that sucked!" Sam shouted.

"You missed out the part about being a stripper." Rachel said as she slammed her DVD on the table.

"You KNOW I'm ashamed of that, but I had no choice! You really think this low of me, don't you? Well I'm so sorry if I worry about us and where we're going. I'm sorry that I think about if we ever got married and started a family but couldn't afford to put food on the table. I'm sorry I CARE ABOUT YOU. I'm sorry that I lov-"

Sam stopped himself before he said the words. Rachel looked at him, stunned to silence.

"...I am not letting a fight be the first time I say that to you." Sam said.

"Well, maybe we'll say it when you calm down." Rachel said.

"For God's sake, Rachel. GROW UP!" Sam shouted.

"TAKE YOUR OWN ADVICE!" Rachel screamed and walked towards their bedroom.

"Where are you going; we're not done." Sam said loudly.

"Yes we are! And I'm going to bed; don't worry, the sofa's nice and comfy." Rachel shouted and slammed the door shut behind her. Sam slammed his fist on the table in rage.

Sam lied down wide awake on the sofa for hours on end. He couldn't sleep a wink. He looked up at the ceiling with tears in his eyes as he kept checking his watch. It felt like an eternity that the apartment had been silent. While Sam was awake, Rachel was to. The two of them couldn't sleep as they had grown so used to sleeping by each other's side. Rachel wiped away tears as she looked at her pictures of both Finn and Sam.

Eventually Sam couldn't cope anymore and got up and walked tentatively up to the bedroom door and knocked on it gently.

"Baby?" Sam whispered, leaning his head against the door.

"Come in." A muffled whisper replied. Sam opened the door and he saw Rachel sat up in bed with a tear-stained face. It broke his heart knowing he was the cause of it. They looked at each other for a moment before Sam raced to the bed and sat next to Rachel. Their lips met instantly. Sam ran his hands through Rachel's hair while she leant her hands on his chest. The kiss deepened and grew more passionate as they started undressing each other. After, they passionately and lovingly made love.

Afterwards, the two of them were lying in bed with Sam wrapping his arms around Rachel's fragile body as she ran her finger along his bare chest.

"I'm sorry." Rachel said.

"No, I'm sorry." Sam said.

"I was completely wrong. I didn't mean what I said." Rachel admitted.

"Neither did I, but we both said bad things. Things that hurt." Sam replied. They kissed again.

"I hate it when we fight." Rachel whispered, tears building up again. Sam wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled reassuringly at her.

"And me." He replied. Sam sat up as Rachel did. Rachel grabbed his hands.

"Now you listen to me; there was one thing you said back there above all else that really broke my heart, and I could tell it hurt you. Finn was my first love and he'll always be in my heart, but you are NOT second best. You are my number one in your own way, you know why? You saved me. I really don't think I could've made it this far without you by my side, and that means the world to me. And what you were saying about us maybe having a family one day...I can see it. I really can. And I like what I see." Rachel explained. Sam smiled and kissed his girlfriend again. They hugged each other tightly and began making out. Sam climbed on top of Rachel as she wrapped her arms around his back and held his body close to hers as they locked lips.

The moment ended when Santana finally, and drunkenly, stumbled through the door and started singing and laughing to herself. Sam and Rachel laughed with her in between kisses.


	6. Enjoying The Moment

Rachel and Sam had been dating for a year, and the two of them had worked hard on getting great presents for their anniversary, even convincing Santana to stay out of the apartment all day. Rachel decorated the apartment with candles, lowered the lighting and played some romantic music as she prepared lunch for them; she was determined not to burn the food for once. Luckily, all had turned out well and as soon as she had finished cooking Sam returned home from the gym and kissed his girlfriend passionately.

After eating their meal that they both found surprisingly delicious, they snuggled up on the couch and watched TV for a few precious moments. After a while, Sam noticed Rachel was staring up at him and he sighed.

"Presents?" Sam asked, knowing what Rachel's intention was. She nodded and smiled as she got up to get her gift. Sam walked into their bedroom and got his present for Rachel out of the back of the wardrobe and walked back in.

"I'll go first!" Rachel said and handed Sam his present.

"No change then." Sam said cheekily. Rachel playfully hit him as he started to unwrap his present. He smiled at the sight of a scrapbook with a picture of the two of them from before they got together; smiling as they hugged on Rachel's opening night on Broadway. As he opened the book he saw a different picture of them on each page, with something written underneath each one. He flipped the pages and read what each one said.

_Go on a hike together_

_Watch every show on Broadway_

_Go on holiday together_

_Get our own apartment_

Sam started welling up as he read each page.

"It's our bucket list. There's about forty things I want us to do together and we can cross them off as we do them." Rachel explained. Sam stared in silence then looked at her.

"You really do think about this stuff, don't you?" Sam asked happily and Rachel nodded. She took his hand.

"Of course I do. This is serious to me, Sam. You're serious to me." Rachel said. Sam kissed her and held her close.

"I love it." Sam said, touched, before handing an excited Rachel her present. She unwrapped it quickly and stared at the item before her in shock. She picked it up and held it close to her; a photo of Sam standing next to Barbra Streisand. That would have been enough for Rachel, but she also saw it was signed.

_Rachel,_

_Just saw you in Funny Girl. You were astonishing._

_Good luck in your future successes._

_Barbra xx_

"Look at the back of the photo." Sam said with a cheeky grin. Rachel took the photo out of the frame and looked at the back, where she noticed someone else was written.

_P.S. The guy is cute! Xx_

"...How? I mean, I knew she was there on opening night, but...how?" Rachel asked.

"I was waiting for you to finish up when she came in to see you and I asked to take a photo with her for you. She agreed and the backstage crew got it printed right away for her to sign and...there you have it. I was saving it for your 25th birthday but this felt like a better time." Sam said. Rachel stared at the photo in silence.

"Rachel? Say something." Sam said. Rachel grabbed his shirt and kissed him passionately with so much force that they fell onto the floor, with Rachel landing on top of him.

"Like it?" Sam asked.

"I love you." Rachel said with pure meaning.

It was the first time either of them had said it. They had just never got round to it. Sam was elated that Rachel, after everything with Finn, was the one to say it first.

"I love you too. So much." Sam said and kissed Rachel, gently stroking her hair as they both remained lying on the floor. Rachel continued to smile and stared at him.

"What?" Sam asked.

"I'm just enjoying right now. This moment." Rachel whispered and kissed Sam again. They both got up and Rachel stood close to Sam and started unbuttoning his shirt.

"Ready for your other present?" Rachel whispered in his ear as Sam shook off his shirt, grabbed Rachel's hand and ran into the bedroom as Rachel laughed.


	7. Love Never Dies

**A/N: This is the final chapter in this story; virtual high five if you realised before now that the first letter of each chapter title spells 'SAMCHEL' :D**

"Happy anniversary!" Rachel exclaimed as she handed her and Sam's present to Kurt and Blaine. It was their fourth wedding anniversary, and all of their loved ones had gathered at Burt's house in Lima for a huge anniversary bash.

"Thank you!" Kurt said and hugged Rachel while Blaine hugged Sam. The four of them continued into the living room where the majority of the guests gathered and music played. Sam grabbed Rachel's hand and took her outside for a moment. They looked back and smiled at the sight of Kurt and Blaine slowly dancing together through the window.

"What's up?" Rachel asked.

"Well, it's Kurt and Blaine's fourth anniversary, and it's an anniversary for us, too." Sam said. Rachel smiled.

"Oh yeah, when we, uh..." Rachel blushed.

"Yeah. And I never looked back." Sam said, kissing Rachel as he took her hand.

"Neither did I." Rachel said. Sam smiled. They laughed as they heard a loud bump and Santana's laugh and saw a clearly drunk Puck get up off the floor.

"Four years. It's gone so fast." Sam said and Rachel nodded.

"Time flies when you're having fun. I love you." Rachel said.

"I love you too, Rachel Berry." Sam replied and held her close, snuggling in the cold.

"I don't regret a second of being with you, Sam. Who knows how it would've ended if Finn was still here but I can't say I'm not glad that we happened. You know you'll always be top of my list, right?" Rachel asked.

"You know, for the first year or so I always believed I'd be second best, but I'm not worried anymore. I felt like if you loved me then you'd have to stop loving Finn and you'd never be able to do that, and I could never and wouldn't want to replace Finn. I was wrong. I see now you'll always love both of us, and what we have if different to what you and Finn had, and that's okay. All that matters is here and now. All that matters is that I'm here with you." Sam said.

"Exactly. And our love will never die." Rachel added.

"Never." Sam whispered in Rachel's ear and kissed the side of her head.

"We should have an early night tonight, you know. We have to go back to New York tomorrow for your photoshoot, and I have an audition for a new show, remember?" Rachel said.

"Oh yeah, and you'll be a Broadway star once again!"

"That's the plan! About that, I was thinking of reinventing myself or my image for Broadway. You know, like a revival. I might get a proper stage name!" Rachel said.

"Sounds good to me!" Sam said with a huge smile.

"Great. Any ideas?" Rachel asked, genuinely interested.

"I've got one." Sam said.

"What?"

"...Rachel Evans."

Rachel turned and stared at Sam as he knelt down and pulled out a ring. She smiled before speaking.

"Rachel Evans? I like it."


End file.
